


If The World Was Wide Enough

by thegothdetectiv



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Emotions, Everyone Loves Alexander Hamilton, F/M, M/M, Polyamorous Alexander Hamilton, Polyamory, Rare Pair, and by fun i mean i like ripping my own heart out, ships no one asked for, this will be fun, time to rewrite history i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-12 03:43:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13538982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegothdetectiv/pseuds/thegothdetectiv
Summary: Angelica Schuyler marries Aaron Burr





	1. PART I. ANGELICA SCHUYLER

“If you could marry a sister, you’d be rich.”  
“Is it a question of ‘if’, Burr,” Alexander began, pausing to sip his champagne, “or ‘which one’?”  
Aaron raised his brows and smiled. He clapped Alexander on the shoulder. “To liquid courage and luck.” He downed his drink and disappeared to find his fate. Alexander left his friend to his own devices. Maybe it was the champagne bubbles going to his head, or maybe it was something else entirely, but he felt his confidence swell inside him. Alexander turned just slightly, just enough for his chin to dip over his shoulder. He could feel someone's gaze upon him. He looked up slowly, taking his time for once. The radiant young women who had her eyes fixed upon him never wavered. To liquid courage, and luck. Alexander strode towards her.  
“You strike me as a woman who has never been satisfied.”  
The woman smiled. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, you forget yourself.”  
“You’re like me,” Alexander continued, “I’m never satisfied.”  
“Is that right?”  
“I’ve never been satisfied.” Alexander never stopped looking at her as he spoke. Her eyes lingered across his face. A moment passed. She regained herself.  
“My name is Angelica Schuyler.”

Angelica looked at her sister and Alexander. They were already lost in each other. She willed herself to speak.  
“I’ll leave you to it.” She was unsure if they heard her, but it was enough. Angelica excused herself without another word, knowing that what she had done very well may have cost her a lifetime of happiness. She bitterly pressed her lips together, ripping her eyes away from them. Better she do anything else than stare at the future she longed for slipping from her grasp with each passing second. “Well done, Angelica,” she said to herself, midst the tears starting to form. “He was right. You will never be satisfied.”  
She was startled as a drink appeared before her. Angelica scowled at the hand offering it. “Burr,” she remarked with as much reproach as she could muster.  
Aaron rolled his eyes. “Schuyler.”  
“What do you want?” She fought to keep her voice even.  
“I saw what you did.” He offered the drink again. “Why? Why did you let Hamilton go so easily?”  
“You wouldn’t understand.”  
“Try me. I guarantee we’re more alike than you think.””  
Angelica warily took the glass from the officers hand. “If giving him up means Eliza’s happy, I will choose her happiness over mine every time. Mine can wait.”  
Aaron stopped mid-drink, eyeing her over the rim of his glass. “You’re really willing to wait for your own happiness?”  
Angelica looked stoically over the expanse of the room. It was buzzing alive, dancers spinning across the floor, and almost stifling warmth against the rash cold of the season. Ladies and soldiers, tinkling laughter with bass drum proclamations. The heat and the noise mixing with the fragrance of worn perfumes and aired liqueurs. She saw Eliza smiling, face flushed. She looked away. “Yes,” Angelica drank deeply. “Yes I am.

...

Eliza was already deeply engrossed in the letter before the rest of the post was sorted through. Mrs. Schuyler held out a small packed to her eldest daughter. “This one is for you, Angelica.”  
Surprised, Angelica rose from the couch to receive the parcel. Eliza didn’t look up from where she had sank on the floor, Peggy next to her.  
“Who is that from?” Peggy inquired. While Eliza’s letter was very interesting, a package was even more so.  
“Yes, who?” Eliza chimed in, looking away momentarily from the letter.  
Angelica tore at the paper. “Oh…. no one important.” In her hands was a copy of ‘Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever’ by Joseph Priestley. Returning to sit, she opened the book and found a note tucked inside.

To my tempest of a companion,  
I hope all is well in your household. I cannot imagine someone of your intellect being without the questions of existence from time to time, and my hope is that this book shall nurture that school of though. There are so many questions in this world and in our own lives. It is comforting to know that there are others askin gteh the very same questions.  
I look forward to your thoughts on metaphysics next time we meet.  
Continually insufferable,  
A. Burr

Angelica chuckled. “You are indeed insufferable,” she remarked quietly. But not quite enough. Peggy poked her head over.  
“Who’s insufferable.”  
“You are,” Angelica retorted, snapping the book shut.  
“You have to share!” Peggy whined. “Eliza already let me read her letter from Alexander.”  
She tried not to let those last for words sting. Angelica covered the book with her hands.  
“You must really like him if you’re being so secretive about it,” Eliza mused, getting up to sit next to her older sister. Peggy settled in on the other side. “If you tell us, I’ll owe you a favor. And I’ll curtail Peggy from your company for a week.”

...

Angelica lay awake, the haze of sleep already having worn off. It was too early; the light seeping into the windows was dark and cool. A soft knock came from the door. It opened and closed just a s quietly. Eliza slipped in beneath the covers.  
“Today's the day.”  
Eliza nodded into her shoulder.  
“Father should be back in town this afternoon. Wait until he’s settled before asking if Alexander can join us for dinner.”  
They lay there quietly in the receding darkness for a few moments in silence.  
“I guess,” Eliza began slowly, “I guess I never really thought about it not being the three of us all together. You think so much about your future but when it actually arrives, you still can’t help but be surprised, like you didn’t quite expect it. After today…. Things won’t be the same.”  
“You’re right,” Angelica said solemnly. “Nothing will be the same.”

Even her heaviest cloak couldn’t keep out the winter’s chill. Angelica pulled it tighter around herself. She rapped the door twice. A minute or two passed. Finally, the door opened to the flat of one Aaron Burr.  
“I’m so sorry to call on you at such a late hour.”  
“Angelica, what are you doing here? Did something happen? Are you alright?”  
She hesitated. “Walk with me?”  
“It’s freezing outside. Please come in. Did you walk here by yourself?”  
“What of it? I shall walk wherever I please.”  
“It’s dangerous at night for a young woman of-”  
“Don’t you dare lecture me, Burr!” Angelica snapped. “I know what I am and what I can and cannot do. I know-” she wobbled on the word, her voice cracking “-what I can…. And….” Aaron brought her inside from the cold. She fell apart, right there in the foyer, the story coming out as she buried her face in his shoulder. “He said yes, gave them his blessing…. Of course he would, Alexander…. Alexander is…. They’ll be married Burr. They’re getting married.”  
Aaron put his arms around her for comfort. He let her weep in silence.

...

“May you always…. Be satisfied.” The words were genuine but not without double meaning. Angelica watched Alexanders face change. He knew. He knew exactly what she meant.  
Angelica ducked out of the reception at the first chance she got. Picking her way down a footpath through the trees, she made her way to the lake. It was a warmer night, the seasons slowly changing to spring. The light from her father's lakehouse receded as Angelica delved deeper into the woods. She emerged to a clearing, a glittering lake entranced by moonlight lay before her. Sighing, she did her best not to sound completed annoyed.  
“Burr.”  
Aaron straightened at the sound of his name, but he didn not turn. “Schuyler.”  
“I would like to be alone right now.”  
He turned and nearly laughed. “I’m sorry, but I think anyone is entitled to be here, unless your father owns the lake.  
Angelica scowled. “No.” She crossed her arms. “Not yet.”  
Turning back to face the water, he said, “Then I think I’ll stay.”  
She walked to the waters edge, but kept a considerable distance from Burr. “How do you always manage to agitate me, no matter what?”  
“Would you rather continue to be miserable instead?  
Angelica opened her mouth to snap back with a witty retort, but Aaron continued. “Just because you’re waiting for your happiness to come doesn’t mean you have to suffer in the meantime.”  
She was stunned. She had nothing to say. They stood as the sweet spring air whipped around them, rippling the water.  
“You should know when to hold your tongue.”  
“I’ve spoken out of turn? I thought we were equals.” Why was he saying all of this? Why was he saying things like this? Things that struck both her mind and heart. Angelica was always known for her quick wit and sharp mind, the fervor of her intellect. Because of this, it was rare for anyone to see her unreserved. Aaron Burr would be the first to see it twice. Angelica grabbed his arm, leading him back to the house. “What are you doing?” he asked with a considerable amount of confusion.  
“We’re going to relived the winters ball.”


	2. PART I. ANGELICA SCHUYLER

The year before felt like a lifetime ago. Angelica remembered the blue satin dress she wore that night, how it complimented her in every way. She remembered being surrounded by flatterers admiring her. She remembered growing tired of that. She remembered the boy that changed her life.  
“Yes, yes I am.”  
She finished the rest of her drink, Aaron watching her closely. “You truly are something else, Schuyler.”  
She rolled her eyes. “Was that meant to be a compliment?”  
“Actually yes, it was.”  
Angelica looked around the room one last time before she snatched a bottled from a frazzled and confused servant and marched off, Aaron Burr in tow. “Should I ask where we are going, or do i have to be surprised?”  
“Be surprised.”  
Aaron chuckled. “I suppose I always will be with you.”  
Once they were far enough away from the music and the din of the party, Angelica settled onto a couch opposing a large picture window. A light snow was falling outside. She looked at the bottled she had grabbed. Whiskey. Well, alright then. Uncorking the bottle, she took a sip. It was of a fine quality. She passed the bottle to Burr, who sat across from her. He looked at it wordlessly.  
She made a face. “Please tell me you won’t make me drink alone.”  
Aaron shook his head. “It’s not that.”  
A brow raised. “Then what is it?”  
“It’s….” he took the bottle from her finally, and allowed himself a long drink. He sputtered a bit, wiping his face. “There is much on my mind, but I won’t privy you to the arduous details of my conflicted emotions.”  
“She’s married, isn’t she?”  
Aaron nearly spit out the mouthful of alcohol he had taken. He swallowed hastily, coughing again. “I beg your pardon!”  
“Am I wrong?”  
“You’re a mad woman!” he exclaimed, frowning.  
Angelica laughed. “You confused brilliance with insanity. You talk of emotions as if I have no idea what a heart contested is like. Who knows emotions better than a woman?”  
Aaron subsided. “She is married.”  
“I knew it-”  
“…. To a British officer.”  
“Oh.” Angelica was unsure what to say. The bottle rested uneasy in her hands. “I suppose we are both burdened with unfortunate circumstances.”  
Aaron chewed his bottom lip. “That’s one way of putting it.”  
They passed the bottom back and forth in silence for a time. Burr picked up the conversation again. “Would you like to know something truly terrible?”  
“Tell me.”  
“There is another woman I yearn for.”  
“Do tell.”  
Aaron reclined back. “Ah, but she has never given me the time of day.”  
“That is because you are insufferable, Burr.”  
He snorted. “I can always count on you to be honest.”  
“I see no point in hiding the truth,” Angelica replied.  
“So tell me, if I am so insufferable, how can I change my ways?”  
Angelica thought for a moment, her face screwed up in thought. “That is a very good question. Educated, from a wealthy family, only her, promising military career. All fine qualities for a man of your stature. But,” she paused, if only for the dramatic effect, “you’re without true cause, I don't think I’ve ever heard you speak out about anything. You don’t dare, you don’t take a chance. Recklessness is just as dangerous as irresoluteness.”  
Aaron listened carefully, his eyes never leaving her. “And you are telling me the absolute truth?”  
“You have my word.”  
He nodded almost sadly. Angelica held the bottle out to him, but he waved it away politely. “No, thank you. I think I’ve had enough.”  
Angelica huffed. “A shame. Wait till I tell Alexander I can outdrink you.” Before Burr could reply, she began to chug and easily cleaned a fifth of the bottle on her own. He stared at her, amazed as well as terrified. She threw her head back and laughed. Aaron smiled. He couldn’t help but smile.

...

Anyone else could have told you for the entire two years that Aaron kept correspondance with Angelica that he was courting her. It wasn’t until late into the following winter that she realized it for herself.  
She was on tour in England, after spending the holidays in the Netherlands. It had become quite routine for her to receive a letter from Aaron almost weekly. It was shortly after New Years that something changed. She wrote back immediately:

To my faithful companion,  
I have only been in London for a total of six days now and yet your letters still know where to find me. I am thankful for your constant correspondence. I am also grateful for the friendship you helped me foster with Mrs. Theodosia Bartow Prevost. Her and her family have treated me with kindness, and Theodosia has an agreeable disposition. I can see why you found her company enjoyable.   
The letter I received from you two weeks ago, I noticed a comma in the middle of a phrase. It changed the meaning; did you intend this? You are usually not so careless.  
I hope all is well back home. I will be returning this summer, as my sister Eliza’s invitation. I’ll be with my family upstate. I extend my sisters hospitality, as I know she would find it favorable, to you and your sister to join us. I know you’re consumed in your work; I do not doubt its importance. I, however, ask you to find a way to relieve yourself of your duties for a short while. I would be glad to see you.  
Continually insufferable,  
A. Schuyler

Angelica looked at that particular letter from Burr. At the top, it read: My Dearest, Angelica. There was a comma after ‘dearest’. She closed her eyes. She could almost hear him say it. My Dearest, Angelica. 

...

Peggy ran screaming from the lakehouse. Angelica nearly fell out of the carriage as she was climbing out. Any bags she had in her hands were dropped on the ground, abandoned so easily. She ran to her younger sister. Angelica had been away for nearly a year; with Aaron’s encouragement, she went off to pursue knowledge. It was exactly what she had needed. The freedom, the challenge, she only grew and flourished. For once, she was allowed to forget about the precarious position she was in. Philip Schuyler had no sons, and being the eldest, Angelica needed to secure her families position. That’s not what she truly wanted. The tour was only testament to that. As she held Peggy close to her, despite the longing to return to independence, she was happy to be back. Eliza jumped in, and the three of them hugged tightly.  
“Angelica, there is such good news!” Peggy began in earnest. Eliza shot her a glare, and the youngest immediately quieted down. Angelica looked suspiciously between them.  
“What are you hiding?” She asked mischievously. “Let me guess. You’re with child, aren’t you?” Angelica laughed excitedly, but Eliza shook her head.  
“No, not yet I’m afraid.”  
“Then…” Angelica began, turning to ponder at another guess. She saw from the house her father emerge, followed by a sharply dressed Aaron Burr. “What is he doing here?”  
“What do you mean?” Eliza asked. “You invited him.”  
“Yes but… he never confirmed he was coming.”  
It felt like she was moving through water, floating up to the house in a dream-like state. Aaron waited until she was closer before he descended down the porch steps to meet her.  
“Burr,” she began incredulously, “why didn’t you tell me you were coming I-” She stopped a moment, a lump forming in her throat. “I was resigned to believing you would be absent.”  
“Angelica.” He took her hands.  
Her eyes widened immediately. “Burr, what are you doing?”  
“My dearest, Angelica.”  
Her lip trembled. Angelica turned to look at her sisters. Eliza had a hand over her mouth. Peggy flushed with twinkling eyes. She turned back to Aaron. He was down on his knee.  
“Stop this immediately. It isn’t humorous.”  
“Angelica, may I finish please?”  
She held her breath. She wouldn’t be to speak without falling apart.  
“Angelica Schuyler. I know I am not the man you wanted. I may not be the man you need. But you are everything I have longed for in this world. I want to provide for you, and make you as happy as you make me. I fear there may never be anyone worthy of you, but I am here to try. Angelica… will you marry me?”  
The tears were already streaming down her face. “You insufferable bastard.” Which meant yes.


	3. PART II. AARON BURR

“Well, if it isn’t the man himself.”  
“Aaron Burr. I would ask what you’re doing here but….we're in-laws.”  
“Right.”  
“I don’t think any amount of time will make the face any less….surprising.”  
Burr was done with pleasantries. “I’m not about to spend nearly two weeks cooped up here with you when I’m supposed to be spending time with my wife.”  
“And where is Angelica? Did you lose her along the roadside with your morals?”  
Burr took a sharp breath. “At least I’m not brash and arrogant! I know my place.”  
Hamilton laughed. “Like a well-trained dog.”  
He was growing increasingly irritated. “And where is Eliza?”  
“She had to stop into town,” Alexander shot back.  
“Oh, did she?” Aaron reeled dramatically. “And how long ago was that?” Hamilton pressed a fist to his lips. How long had it been? He had been writing beside the lake for quite some time. Burr was fuming. “Our wives tricked us. They sent us here, and are probably planning to leave us here until they see fit to retrieve us.”  
“I never thought Eliza would be so cunning,” Alexander chuckled.  
Aaron put a hand on his temple. “That woman will be the death of me, one way or another.”

...

Once they had finally settled in for the night, the two gentlemen retired to the living room. Alexander started the fire up white Aaron sat rather tensely on a small couch. Neither said a word. Alexander moved to sit across the room in an armchair. The fire sputtered and popped, chipper to burn away at the wood. After glancing around the room awkwardly, Alexander fiddled with his hands before speaking.  
“There’s the lake, you know. And a nearby park. You and I could go. Walk. We could go walk, once the night gets dark.”  
“What, like young lovers courting?” Aaron replied, disgust dripping off his voice. “Please. This can’t be fixed with a weekend holiday.”  
“I’m not saying all will be made well, nor that it will be done quickly. I can cite thirty years of grievances I have against you, Burr.”  
“Sweet jesus….of course you do.”  
“You know I would have no problem with you if you took a stand for something. Anything, really. But you never do. Don’t you see how untrustworthy that makes you look?”  
“Not everyone is as obsessed with image as you are.”  
“This isn’t about image.”  
“Oh, it isn’t? With the high profile you keep, running your mouth as you do, you’ll be notorious either way. That’s what you want, isn’t it though? For everyone to know who you are?” Hamilton clenched his jaw and avoided eye contact. Burr continued. “Unlike you, I have a legacy that I should live up to….that I should protect.”  
“Do you really think your father would care so much about that as to have your repore be vapid?”  
Burr tried to keep his tone even, but failed. “I don’t know, as I never received the pleasure of meeting him while he was still alive.”  
Hamilton jumped up, excited. “Neither did I! Well, he left very early in my life but I never knew him. Burr, don’t you realize just how alike we are?” Burr looked away this time. He was beyond angry, emotions welling up inside of him without restraint. Hamilton continued. “You want to protect a legacy you feel is slipping from your grasp. I’m trying to found one that hasn’t even begun. We both share this struggle.” He waited for Aaron to say something. He said nothing. “Is that why you never stand for anything? You fear failure that gravely?”  
“I have my reasons,” he snapped. “Not all of us can be like you. You act recklessly and without abandon, whether or not you know if it will work out.”  
“You make me out to be a petulant child, throwing a tantrum.”  
“Do you deny your actions? Alexander, I have had it up to here with you carefree demeanor, overbearing attitude, and your radical ideology. And even despite all this, you always win,” Aaron concluded, exasperated. His voice was loud. He hadn’t realized he was shouting until he looked at Alexander and saw terror in his eyes. Years of pan had bubbled to the surface. He wiped his face roughly.  
A moment passed. Aaron breathed audibly, a gentle flush now on his face.  
“Do you really think this is a competition?” Alexander’s voice sounded so small, as if he had just had his heart broken. “Burr, I have never, ever wanted to fight you. God, I’ve….looked up to you since I was nineteen years old. I never could understand what I had done that had made you hate me.”  
“I don’t hate you,” Burr said listlessly. “God, I am envious of you. You have secured yourself in history. They won’t ever remember my name.”  
“It doesn’t have to be like that….” Hamilton crossed the room to be near the other man. “You can do whatever you want in this world. Anything at all. You just need to reach out and take it.”  
“But what if I’m wrong.” Aaron stared into the fire, his own sense of self shaken.  
Alexander knelt in front of him, and took hold of his gaze. “Is the fear of losing that much greater than the fear of trying?”  
“Yes.” It was said without hesitation.  
“And while I feel you have nothing to fear, I understand the fear of the unknown. But take for example this; there was a risk in courting Angelica. And now she’s your wife. I believe so much in your success, Burr.”  
Aaron looked away a little sadly. “Yes, she is. But you see Alexander, that is not enough. I will never be satisfied. And there is always the fear of asking for too much.”  
Alexander put a hand on Aaron’s forearm, trying to draw his attention back again. “Burr had you ever even asked?”  
“Alexander, I could never ask that of you.”  
Hamilton’s eyes widened. “What?” They stared at each other, unblinking, in a moment that seemed to go beyond time.  
Burr stood abruptly. “I must leave immediately.” He burst through the front door before Alexander could absorb the shock.  
“Wait,” the other man called, starting after him. “Where are you going?”  
“Anywhere but here!” Aaron bolted across the front lawn. Alexander took off after him, watching the other man disappear into the trees. He followed Aaron all the way to the lake. Burr had stopped at the edge of the treeline, resting against a trunk to catch his breath. Alexander emerged, immediately caught his foot on a root, and pitched forward. The two smacked into each other, stumbling into the clearing as they tried to regain their balance. Eyes wild and hair afly, Alexander was clutching just as tightly to Aaron as Aaron was to him. A million things were running through Aaron's mind. It was all too much, he had said too much, given too much away. All he could think about was how his life would now in ruins. He was terrified. Alexander could destroy him. “Alexander, I-”  
Aaron did not finish his thought. Alexander didn’t allow him to. The moon was their only witness.


	4. PART II. AARON BURR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Jefferson/Hamilton feud sparks up, and Hamilton endorses Burr in the Election of 1800

“I agree with Angelica. You need to talk to Jefferson. Do what you must to compromise. Don’t stop til you agree.”  
Alexander paced back and forth. “Of course you agree with your wife.”  
Aaron set his jaw firm. “What I agree with is the tactic, not the person.”  
He stopped, turning to look where Aaron sat. “I’m afraid it’s past that point.”  
“What?”  
“I came here today to ask you to be my second.”  
“No. Alexander, I can’t let you do this.” Aaron stood with a start, a frantic tone entering his voice.  
Without warning, a flustered young man came bursting into the office. “Mr. President, sir!”  
“I am in a private meeting,” Aaron snapped. “Whatever it is, it can wait.” The young man bowed his head and retreated red-faced, but the outburst broke the tension.  
“You must love that, huh? ‘Mr. President’?”  
“To be quite honest with you, I keep looking for General Washington everytime I hear it.”  
Alexander laughed lightly, Aaron joining him. “What a world we live in.”  
“Yes, what a world.” The president paused. “I implore you to talk to Jefferson. Try.”  
“I have tried.”  
“Then try again.”  
“Do you think I would be here if I hadn’t?!” Alexander said, voice mounting with tension. “I have tried everything. Jefferson will not yield until he is satisfied.”  
He took a deep breath. “When is it happening?”  
“A week from now. Weehawken, dawn. Guns will be drawn.”

…

The air was still. Alexander examined the terrain. The Jefferson party had yet to arrive. Alexander fiddled with the trigger of his pistol. He looked to be nervous.  
“What’s wrong?” Aaron asked, touching his shoulder lightly.  
“I’m not sure.” He hooked his pinky with Burr’s. “Thank you for being here. I know this presents a conflict of interest.”  
“Of course I’d be here. Nothing would stop that.”  
“He is your vice president.”  
“I’ll be changing that.”  
Alexander grinned lightheartedly. “Don’t make historians speculate your motives.”  
Aaron snorted. “They can speculate all they want.”  
“Well well….if it isn’t Aaron Burr.” The two turned. The challenger arrived. Jefferson smiled. “I cannot say that I’m too terribly surprised at your presence this morning.”  
“Your behavior is unfitting of your position, but I digress. Let me speak with your second.”

...

“I imagined death so many times it felt like a memory,” he began. “I was twelve when my mother died. She was sick, we were both sick….but she held onto me. She gave me all her strength so that I may go on. And even when she went, I wasn’t scared.” Alexander paused, taking a deep breath. He went on. “I may never have agreed with President Burr’s ideology because it was different from mine, but there is something to be said for it. Burr waited for the right moment to act, the best moment. He knew he had only one shot.” It was getting hard for him to speak. He looked at the rest of the speech. It swam before his very eyes. He had written pages about Burr. Verses, paragraphs. Entire novels. There was so much he had to say. He wanted the world to know of Aaron, as he had known him. Alexander opened his mouth to continue. He closed it again. There was nothing he could say after all.

...

Count. One, two three….  
Alexander remembered meeting Aaron for the first time. They were both so young, and dreamed of glory. He remembered Washington smiling at him when he was called to the office, when he was hired. Alexander remembered leading his first battalion.  
….four, five, six….  
Alexander remembered the night he met Eliza, writing letters to her until she fell for him. He remembered meeting his son Philip for the first time. He thought about them sleeping soundly at home.  
….seven, eight, nine….  
Alexander thought about Burr, his first enemy, his lifelong friend, a man close enough to be his brother. He thought about how much they could accomplish together. He thought about his borrowed time, how he never seemed to die.  
….ten….  
He aimed his pistol at the sky.  
“Wait!”  
The world moved in slow motion. Alexander turned at the sound of his voice, Aaron dashed forward. The doctor had his back turned still. Aaron was close, too close. He had ignored the rules. Fool, he thought to himself, why did you trust Jefferson? He hates you. He would never throw away his shot at destroying you. Hamilton dropped his gun upon impact, Burr colliding with him as he pushed the other man out of the way. They both fell to the ground. Aaron screamed. The bullet had entered his side. Alexander was right beside him, cradling the fallen one in his arms. He ignored the fact that there were tears in his eyes.  
Aaron opened his eyes with difficulty. “Alexander?”  
His breath shook. “Yes….I’m right here. I got you.” Hamilton wiped Burr’s brow. “Everything is going to be fine. You’re going to live, okay? You’ve got to live.” Aaron coughed. Blood speckled his lips. “Aaron no….you have to….please live. Just….stay alive, that would be enough.”  
“You’ve never called me Aaron before.”  
Tears pooled heavily. “I guess….you’re right.”  
Aaron tried to sit up. He winced and Alexander held him tighter. “Take care of Angelica.”  
“Stop it. Stop it right now.” His voice was bitter.  
“I know she never really loved me as much as I loved her, as much as we loved you.”  
“Please Aaron….don’t talk like that. There’s a million things you haven’t done. The world is waiting for you. The world is waiting.”  
“….Alexander.”  
“We’re waiting….for you.”  
“Alexander, do you think,” Aaron was listless, his eyes fighting to stay open. “Do you think this would hurt any less if we were still enemies?”  
Hamilton sucked in his breath. “No, it wouldn’t. I would have still loved you.”  
“And now?  
“It hurts even more.”

 


End file.
